


Possibilities are a snap away.

by ArivFroso, KagomeBenihime



Series: Treat for The Trickster [18]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Choices Matter, Dean mouths off, Gabriel isn't having it, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:27:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArivFroso/pseuds/ArivFroso, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KagomeBenihime/pseuds/KagomeBenihime
Summary: Gabriel's doing a little sorting.Dean doesn't believe him.shenanigans ensue
Relationships: Gabriel/Sam Winchester, implied Dean Winchester/Castiel - Relationship
Series: Treat for The Trickster [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/753126
Comments: 1
Kudos: 59





	Possibilities are a snap away.

**Author's Note:**

> Small fluff chapter Where Dean gets a bit more perspective on how his life could be different and how he needs to trust his brother and his brothers angel.

Sam watched worriedly as Gabriel grimaced for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. "Are you ok?" he finally asked.

Gabriel sighed softly. "Just sifting through alternate times," he said. "Don't worry."

"Alternate times?" Sam asked curiously 

Gabriel nodded. "I can see alternate versions of reality sometimes, usually I'll go through a few, see how things are."

Dean snorted as he finished putting his gun back together. "Bull," he said simply.

Gabriel rolled his eyes slightly. "What's bull about that? People make choices, things in their life are different. That simple."

"Still bull," Dean said.

"Dean…" Sam warned.

Dean didn't listen. "Prove it then if it's true."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow before a slight shrug. "Sure, see you in an hour."

"Wait, what-" was all Dean got out before.

**_Snap._ **

Dean blinked, he was standing in front of the hotel door. Cursing softly, he dug for his key while trying to keep his gun inconspicuous. If Gabriel was just trying to get rid of him it wasn't gonna work. He unlocked the door and moved in again, ready to give that winged asshole a piece of his mind, but the person who rose from the table as he came in… wasn't Gabriel… 

"Rub-" Dean quickly pointed his gun at the demon in front of him, it wouldn't do much but at least it could do something.

"Dean!" Sam said quickly, standing from the table and grabbing his wrist to point the gun at the floor. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Dean yelled at his brother, trying to pull his wrist free.

"Honestly…" Ruby sighed, crossing her arms. "I thought we were past this…"

Dean stopped struggling to stare at her. "What?"

"Come on Dean," Sam said, moving over and taking Ruby's hand in his. "She's on our side, remember? She's helping us figure out your deal."

"No," Dean said, shaking his head. "We don't take help from demons. Especially not her."

Sam scoffed slightly. "Dean, if you hadn't made that deal in the first place, we wouldn't have to…"

Dean opened his mouth to argue but snapped it closed again. He shook his head. "You still don't have to. Forget about me, forget about the deal."

"You made that deal for me," Sam said. "I can't just give up on you when you've done… everything for me."

Dean stared at him. "Of course I did, you're my brother…"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Spare the fluff would you? You're giving me a toothache."

Dean glared at her over Sam's shoulder. "You. Shut the fuck up."

Sam sighed. "Come on, Dean. We already did this. She helped us fix the colt, she saved us from the witches, she's shown she wants to help…"

Dean's jaw worked for a few seconds before he turned and left the room. Sam called after him, but Dean ignored him.

Once he was outside, Dean yelled, "Gabriel!"

Silence followed the yell but as Dean opened his mouth to yell again, a thunderclap  **boomed** overhead.

"Mortal," came a voice from around him. It was Gabriel's, but Dean could hear him trying to sound more threatening and deep voiced. "How do you know that name?"

"Cut the crap, featherbutt!" Dean growled. "Get down here!"

After a moment, Gabriel appeared in front of Dean, a sucker sticking out the side of his mouth, his arms folded, and wearing the coveralls from his time as the trickster janitor.

"Ok, kid," Gabriel said softly. "How do you know who I am and why did you- oh." Gabriel looked him up and down.  _ "OH," _ he said again.

Dean made a face. "Dude, stop," he said. "I believe you, ok? Just take us back."

Gabriel shrugged. "Would that I could, Dean-o boy. But it wasn't me who sent you here."

"Come on," Dean pleaded. "If you're still you, even if you're not the you I know, you can send me back, right? Or do you need like... a power up or whatever?"

Gabriel shook his head. "The spell your Gabi-baby used is a round trip deal. I try to send you back and it could backfire rather spectacularly." He sighed softly. "Looks like you got… maybe half an hour here before it sends you back. Anything you wanna know about this lovely alternate?"

"No," Dean snapped, looking away. After a moment he asked, "Does this version of me manage to get out of the deal?" He looked to the would-be janitor.

Gabriel bit his lip slightly before shaking his head slightly. "It's… complicated…"

Dean's jaw worked as he nodded, glancing back toward the hotel room. "What about that Sam? Does he, uh… Is he ok after the other me… goes to Hell?"

"Your brother," Gabriel said softly, "he hooks up with Ruby… like, hooks up… hooks up...and… starts drinking demon blood…" He looked up at Dean. "His psychic powers were never cleansed by an angel in this world, so drinking the blood makes them stronger…"

Dean's eyes widened in surprise before he tried to play it off. Not his world, why should he worry about a brother that wasn't really his? "And I take it you wouldn't do that for him…"

Gabriel sighed. "There has to be at least some consent for something like that. In this world, Samster sees me as a trickster and would never let me even get close enough to ask him about it. Not much I can do… except for round about tricking to teach lessons." He chuckled. "Not that either of you ever listen."

Dean nodded and looked away again.

They were silent for a moment before Gabriel said softly, "Hey… Dean? Could you… give a message to your Gabriel for me?"

Dean looked over, startled. "Uh, sure. What is it?"

"Tell him… he did good," Gabriel said. "We can't really talk through different worlds, but I can feel emotions sometimes. I know he worries he messed your lives up by tagging along but…" He smiled weakly at Dean. "There's so much he's done without knowing. He's… he did good."

Dean nodded. "I'll tell him."

Gabriel smiled weakly before his eyes widened slightly at something over Dean's shoulder.

"What… the hell?" came Dean's voice from behind himself.

Dean closed his eyes a moment. "You didn't think to get rid of the me that was supposed to be here?" he muttered before turning to face himself. "I can explain," he said, holding up his hands. He knew if he ever saw himself in his own world or timeline or whatever, his first instinct would be to assume it was a doppelganger or changeling.

This world's Dean stared for a minute before his eyes slid past him to the trickster angel behind him, his eyes narrowed and he reached for his gun.

"Sure," Gabriel sighed, "blame the trickster for the unexpected doppelganger of yourself outside your hotel room… Actually, that does make sense. Good instincts, Dean-o."

Dean was about to turn and yell at Gabriel for being an idiot when this world's Dean fired. Dean closed his eyes, waiting for the bullet, but nothing happened.

_ "She's my cherry pie, cool drink of water, what a sweet surprise." _

"You're welcome," Gabriel said as music thumped around them. Dean opened his eyes to find himself next to a lounging Gabriel in front of a stage with a pole in the center and a woman dancing away.

Dean sat forward in his chair, putting his head in his hands. "Stupid flying," he muttered as he tried to regain his equilibrium.

Gabriel patted his shoulder slightly. "Sorry, flying can be hard on ya, but you get used to it."

"So you keep telling me," Dean grumbled. After a bit, he sat up and looked around. "Seriously? A strip club?"

"Well, it's not like they'd look here." Gabriel said with a grin.

Dean sighed. He glanced up at the girl on the pole in front of them. She was pretty, of course, with her pale skin, her black hair and blue eyes. The pair of black feathered wings on her back made him laugh, though. Of course the "trickster" would pick the angel cosplayer.

"So… He has Ruby in this world…" Dean said, running a hand over his face as he came to terms with the whole multiverse theory. "Who do you have?"

Gabriel looked down, almost looking… sad for a moment. “Any universe… there’s no one but Sam for me… at least, in that type of context.”

"So, you… what? Just get to be stuck, miserable and alone?" Dean asked. "That doesn't seem fair."

Gabriel shrugged. “I mean, I can have fun. Not like I’m pulling celibacy or something. I just… don’t have my other half.”

Dean shrugged. "I may not understand all your angel shit, but…" He wasn't sure why his eyes were drawn to the black haired, blue eyed, angel stripper as he finished. "Living without half of yourself… sounds miserable to me…"

Gabriel nodded slightly. “Yeah… can be.” He grinned at Dean then. “But you meet yours eventually right? That’s got to be fun!”

Dean raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't get another half. I get Hell."

Gabriel's eyes widened. “Uh… spoilers…?”

Dean shook his head and sighed. "So, how much longer am I stuck here?"

Gabriel looked at his wrist as if checking a watch. “Oh, I’d say… ten minutes, give or take.” He looked at Dean. “You sure you don’t want to know anything?”

Dean looked at him again. "Like what?"

Gabriel shrugged. “How the fights went down here, or what happens after… different time lines means it’s not spoilery, at least not super…”

Dean shrugged, leaning forward so he could rest his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. "It won't change anything…"

Gabriel sighed softly. "Depends on how you use it, but fine." The music suddenly stopped, Gabriel sat up.

Dean looked up and around at the empty room. "That was all an illusion?"

Gabriel shook his head, eyes on the door. "Not all of it…" There was a loud  **bang** and the door flew off its hinges into the room. "Didn't want innocent people involved with this…"

Ruby entered with a pack of other black eyed demons. "You shouldn't be here," she snarled at Dean. 

Gabriel stood. "Head out the back," he said softly. "I got this."

Dean stood quickly. "What? I can't just-"

Gabriel turned, putting a hand on Dean's forehead. Several images flashed past: Sam standing over a grave, Dean trapped, a pair of bright blue eyes, Sam and him hugging.

"I can handle it," Gabriel said with a smile. "You've got your own timeline to worry about. Get going."

"Don't you dare die," Dean said. "He doesn't know it yet, but he needs you." He glanced once more at the demons, at Ruby, before turning and running like hell.

As he turned, he thought he saw a sad smile on Gabriel's face, but he didn't stop to check.

Once he's outside, he saw Sam and himself, packing guns and moving towards him.

"Shit," Dean muttered, skidding to a stop on the blacktop.

"There!" Sam said, pointing. They both brought up their guns and-

Dean was back in the hotel room again, Sam looking worried. Dean collapsed on the bed, breathing hard.

"Not funny," Dean said when he'd caught his breath, pointing to Gabriel without looking at him.

"Never said it was," Gabriel said softly.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, moving over to Dean. "What happened?"

Dean sat up and looked at Gabriel, trying to read his expression. "It was another timeline. Things were... different. Oh, and that timeline's version of me showed up and thought I was a doppelganger. So that was fun."

Gabriel nodded slightly, still looking at him, almost worriedly.

"What?" Dean asked. "I have something on my face?"

Gabriel sighed softly. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have done that to you."

"I mean…" Dean shrugged. "I'm alright. The other you helped me out."

Gabriel's eyes widened slightly. "He- you met-"

"I was cursing you out and he must've heard me…" Dean said sheepishly.

Gabriel smiled weakly and nodded. "I see…"

Dean chuckled. "When the other me showed up, the other you took me to a strip club to hide."

Gabriel hid a smile in his hand. "Should I apologize?"

Dean shrugged. "It wasn't really you. Plus… he saved my life."

Gabriel smiled, not hiding it this time. "I'm glad…"

Dean looked down at his own hands, frowning slightly.

"Dean?" Sam asked softly. "What's wrong?"

"The other you… trusted Ruby…"

Gabriel sighed softly.

Sam nodded slowly. "I take it I wasn't with Gabriel, then?"

Dean shook his head. "We just thought he was a trickster."

"You figure it out soon enough," Gabriel said softly.

"Did you have more power in that world?" Dean asked suddenly. "You…  _ he _ took on a small army of demons by himself so I could run. Is he gonna be ok?"

Gabriel blinked, then chuckled softly. "He'll be fine. There's a few tricks up my sleeve, but using them paints a target on your back. If I used them you two would be in danger. He can just disappear again."

Dean nodded. "Because he's alone…"

Gabriel sighed, nodding. "When you're alone… hiding is pretty easy…"

"Oh, he wanted me to tell you something," Dean said suddenly, leaning forward.

Gabriel looked up, confused.

"He said you did good," Dean said, looking into Gabriel's eyes. "Stop doubting yourself. You did the right thing. You helped."

Gabriel's eyes widened slightly before he smiled slightly. "Huh… thanks…"

Dean nodded.


End file.
